DELGADO CAMPAIGN CALLS ON REP. JOHN FASO TO RETURN CAMPAIGN CASH FROM REP. CHRIS COLLINS
August 8, 2018
Kingston, NY – This morning, Rep. Chris Collins was indicted on insider trading charges. Delgado for Congress is calling on Rep. John Faso, a fellow New York Republican, to return the $3,000 in campaign cash he has taken from his close ally, Mr. Collins. In fact, Congressman Faso accepted the bulk of this money in March 2018, following the conclusion from the Office of Congressional Ethics that Collins had likely broken federal law.
Faso and Collins have a history of close ties and cooperation. They worked together on healthcare, proposing an amendment to the failed Republican healthcare bill that aimed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The amendment was dubbed the “Buffalo Bribe” because it would exclusively apply to New York, and proposed to transfer the cost of caring for Medicaid beneficiaries from counties to the state of New York. This was part of the same bill that Faso voted for which would have cruelly stripped Medicaid away from thousands of our most vulnerable families, slashed funding for women’s health organizations like Planned Parenthood, and gutted protections for people with pre-existing conditions despite his promises that he would not do so.
“John Faso has consistently favored big corporations and special interests over the needs and concerns of his own constituents. He lied to a woman with a pre-existing condition about protecting her healthcare,” said Delgado for Congress campaign manager Allyson Marcus. “He has taken thousands from dishonest representatives and Washington insiders. Faso should return the $3,000 from Collins immediately in order to finally demonstrate to the people of our district that he won’t benefit from corrupt politicians.”
Faso’s relationship with Collins is another example of ties to corruption and deception that date back to his work as a partner and lobbyist for a firm involved in pay-to-play corruption. His firm, Manatt Phelps & Phillips, was banned from appearing before New York’s public pension funds for five years and fined $550,000 because of their direct involvement in pay-to-play.
Faso has traveled on a revolving door between lobbying and politics while consistently putting the interests of big corporations with deep pockets ahead of the concerns of the people of our district. Even as an Albany politician, Faso opposed ethics laws that require legislators to disclose financial interests. This Long Island native – and career Albany and Washington politician – has been in Washington for too long. The people of our district deserve a congressperson who will be held accountable and who will represent their concerns and interests.
